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Oleksandr Usyk set to make his heavyweight debut vs. Chazz Witherspoon on Saturday night

Oleksandr Usyk might just be the best heavyweight in boxing today. While he currently does not hold a world title belt, the success he had en route to becoming the undisputed cruiserweight world champion could prove beneficiary in a competitive division.

Oleksandr Usyk, who has been training in Oxnard, will make his heavyweight debut Saturday night against Chazz Witherspoon in Chicago.(Photo: Getty Images)

Usyk will make his heavyweight debut Saturday night against late-replacement Chazz Witherspoon at the Wintrust Arena in Chicago. The 10-round bout will stream live on DAZN at 4 p.m.

The southpaw Usyk has not fought since Nov. 10, 2018, when he made his final successful defense of the his cruiserweight title by stopping Tony Bellew of England in the eighth round. The 32-year-old, who is originally from Kiev, was scheduled to make his heavyweight debut against France’s Carlos Takam on May 25, but an injury to his right bicep during training camp forced him to withdraw.

Usyk (16-0, 12 knockouts) was scheduled to face unbeaten but little-known Tyrone Spong on Saturday night, but Spong tested positive earlier this week for clomiphene, a banned substance that was detected through the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, clomiphene is an anti-estrogenic substance that is used to treat infertility in women, but can also be used to increase testosterone circulation.

Witherspoon was announced as the replacement Tuesday afternoon.

Despite the delays and the change in opponent, Usyk cannot wait to get back in the ring.

“I haven’t been inside the ring in a while.” Usyk told The Star before a training session last week in Oxnard. “I’m going to go inside the ring on (Saturday) very motivated. I’ve been working very hard in the gym. I’ve missed being back in the ring. That’s my big motivation in my life.”

Witherspoon (38-3, 29 KOs), who resides in Paulsboro, New Jersey, has fought sporadically over the last few years. The 38-year-old last fought on March 23, stopping Santander Silgado after the second round. His previous fight was on March 10, 2018, after having not fought in a year and a half.

Witherspoon has a size and height advantage, which could give Usyk problems. Even though Witherspoon has a more technical style than Spong, Usyk has downplayed criticism that he is facing inferior opposition in his heavyweight debut.

“Many people have said that he’s weak and that he’s not good. Spong is a legit heavyweight and he’s undefeated,” he said. “For all the people that think I’m fighting a soft opponent, let them step inside the ring. As for Witherspoon, I’m preparing for him as if it’s the biggest fight of my life.”

Usyk, who is managed by Thousand Oaks resident Egis Klimas, has received quality sparring and training at the Boxing Laboratory in Oxnard, which used to to be the Robert Garcia Boxing Academy.

Aside from training alongside unified lightweight champion Vasiliy Lomachenko of Camarillo and WBO light heavyweight titleholder Sergey Kovalev, Usyk has enjoyed the atmosphere in the gym and amenities of the area. He hopes to continue training in Oxnard for future fights, which could include more lucrative bouts on DAZN or world title fights against Deontay Wilder or unified champion Andy Ruiz.

“I’ve been here before to Oxnard to train. What I really like about here is that there are not a lot of distractions, like in Los Angeles to somewhere else. This is a place where you can concentrate and train,” he said. “I really like Oxnard. I train in the morning and sometimes during the day. The surprising thing is that people recognize me whenever I’m out. They come and talk to me.”

Weekend TV bout

Ganigan Lopez (36-9, 19 KOs) will square off against Armando Torres (24-18, 18 KOs) in a 10-round flyweight bout Friday night at the Auditorio Blackberry in Lopez’s hometown of Mexico City. The fight will air on Telemundo starting at 11:35 p.m.

Francisco A. Salazar covers boxing for The Star. Francisco also covers boxing for RingTV, Boxingscene, and FightNights.com. He can be reached on Twitter at FSalazarBoxing.